Switch
by PippyLI
Summary: When getting Ford his Electron Carpet, Dipper and Mabel accidentally switch bodies in the process. Not wanting a repeat of last time, they develop a plan to get the carpet back and switch back into their own bodies. What could possibly go wrong? (Set between "Dungeons, Dungeons, and more Dungeons" and "The Last Mabelcorn") [There's a bit of Humor in there...]
1. Chapter 1

**Hello fellow Homo Sapiens! (That's Human Being in Latin, I think.) I present to you… another Gravity Falls story! I don't really have much to say, but remember this…-dramatic pause-...alpacas have very fluffy fur. (Or is it wool?) Anyways, enjoy thy story!**

 **DISCLAIMER: I don't own Gravity Falls, if I did, it probably wouldn't be as awesome.**

* * *

 **Chapter 1: Body Switched**

It happened again.

"Dipper, how many times do I have to tell you? Wash your clothes!"

"Don't act like you're the only one stuck in this situation! I have to deal with your braces...and why is there glitter stuck in your teeth?!"

 _Let's reverse…_

It had been a normal day in the Mystery Shack… Well as normal it could be, anyways. Dipper and Mabel were in the living room watching some mindless sitcom when they heard yelling coming from the other room. Curious, they decided to check what the fuss is all about.

As they neared closer, they saw Stan and Ford arguing (As usual.) in front of Ford's room.

"Stanley, I thought you said you didn't touch my _stuff!_ What in the world did you do to my _room?!_ "

Stan threw his hands up in the air in exasperation. "For the love of everything that's paranormal, _Poindexter_ , I didn't do nothin'! It was probably one of the kids or Soos! Pretty sure Soos uses it as a break room or somethin'."

Ford scoffed and crossed his arms. "He's _your_ employee, so you're still held responsible for this mess." He said, using an arm to motion the room.

Stan glanced at the room for a second for turning back to his brother, more than done with this conversation. " _What mess?!_ "

Sighing, Ford pinched the bridge of his nose from under his glasses. A bit (Only by a bit.) quieter than Stan, he answered, "I mean it figuratively, not literally, Stan. My stuff is missing. Like, where the heck did my electron carpet go?!"

"Huh? Whazzat?"

Ford glared daggers at his brother. His fist clenched and unclenched in rage as his left eye twitched. Ford grit his teeth, trying desperately to keep himself from lashing out on him.

"It's literally a _carpet_ with a tag that says 'Experiment 78, Electron Carpet.'"

"Well _sorry_ for not knowing what the heck your nerd stuff is!"

"At least I'm getting an apology for _something!_ "

Dipper and Mabel turned to each other with unimpressed looks. The first few arguments the two grumpy men had been worrying, and perhaps a bit dangerous, like that time when Stan had accidentally unleashed Probabilitor the Annoying, but now it was just getting old.

"For waffles' sake! Why dontcha ask one of the kids where your dumb carpet is?"

"You know what!? I think I will! KIDS!"

The younger twins emerged from their hiding spot behind the wall and walked up to them, acting like they hadn't just heard their argument.

"Yes, Great Uncle Ford?" Mabel chirped.

Ford turned to them, surprised, obviously not expecting them to be so quick. He got out if his shock, though, and cleared his throat and kneeled down. He shot them a small smile. "Would any one of you know where my electron carpet is? You see it's a aqua carpet with this yellow circle in the middle…" Ford said, making a circular motion with his hands.

The twins perked up simultaneously and shouted in unison, "I know where it is!" Dipper and Mabel turned towards each other. Mabel smiled, with a hint of smugness in her tone.

"Well Dippin' sauce, you'll have to be quick if ya wanna beat it to me for getting that rug too Great Uncle Ford. Race you to the stairs!" With that, she pointed at him with finger guns and raced towards the stairs.

Dipper hesitated a bit, not wanting to look childish in front of his idol, but that quickly was replaced with his desire to help said idol. He ran after her and called, "Hey! He was obviously looking at me when he said that!"

After the younger twins left, both Stans resorted back to glaring at each other.

* * *

Mabel reached the stairs and bolted towards the attic, laughing all the way. She quickly located the carpet rolled up in the corner and grabbed it. She turned to leave but didn't get far before Dipper crashed into her.

Both fell to the floor with a yelp, with Mabel dropping the carpet in the process. After recovering from the fall, the twins both got up and dived for it. Mabel's sweater brushed against the carpet for a split second before hitting heads with Dipper.

 _'Clonk'_

"Ow…."

Without looking back at Dipper, Mabel quickly grabbed the carpet with a victory shout and left the room, mumbling a quick apology to her twin. Running back downstairs, Mabel barely heard Dipper's desperate cry of "Wait!"

Mabel held up the carpet with a triumphant grin.

"Here you go, Great Uncle Ford!"

Ford looked down at her with a small smile.

"Ah, Thank you, Dipper."

 _Wait… Dipper?_

He reached down to pat her head and took the carpet from her hands. Shooting Stan a glare, Ford walked into his room, slamming the door shut behind him. Stan just rolled his eyes and huffed, making a beeline to the living room. Once they were both gone, Mabel looked towards the stairs where Dipper was, only to see herself.

Finally understanding what was happening, her eyes widened into the size of saucers. But before she could scream, Dipper made a move to grab her wrist and drag her up to their room before anything else happened.

* * *

 **Ta da! This will be another multi-chapter story! My goal is to make this over 10 thousand words, but I'll most likely fail. I'll try my best to spread stuff out more, though. See you in a few days! (Not literally. It would be creepy for me to just randomly show up at your door, dear reader(s).**

 **5-22-5-18-25-4-1-25 9'13 19-8-21-6-6-12-9-14'...**


	2. Chapter 2

**120 plus views?! Thank you guys for reading so far, means a lot. Also I'd like to thank the people who reviewed so far, glad to know you guys like it and well… not hate it I guess. Anyways, on with the chapter!**

* * *

 **Chapter 2: The Plan**

Mabel swung her legs to and fro on the bed as she watched her brother pace around the room. When they were fighting over the rug to give to Ford, Mabel's sweater brushed against the rug, causing static electricity to build up. Then causing them to switch bodies when they hit their heads.

Mabel tilted her head. "So, Bro-Bro, what're we gonna do?"

Dipper stopped pacing for a split second to look at her. He grimaced slightly, and began pacing again.

"Ugh, it still looks weird hearing you say that in my voice. Too bad we don't switch voices, too. And as for what we're gonna do…" Dipper trailed off, stopping in his tracks once again. He looked at her again. "I honestly have no idea."

Mabel brought a finger up to her chin as she brainstormed. She hummed in thought. Mabel looked back at Dipper. "Well… we'll have to find a way to get back that carpet and keep it just enough time for us to switch back without Great Uncle Ford finding out."

Dipper looked at quizzingly. "Why don't we just ask him to lend it us? Or better yet, explain the situation we're in. He'll understand."

Mabel froze at the suggestion and averted her gaze. "Uh-We can't do that. It… it will distract him from his research and from whatever nerd experiments he does and… We don't want that, do we?" She stuttered out. She jabbed a thumb at her (or Dipper's) chest. "Plus this _is_ our mess. _We_ gotta deal with it. Not him."

Dipper eyed her suspiciously for a moment, but ended up letting it drop. She did have a point, Ford would be buried in his research or sorting out everything in his room. He would most likely have no time to help them, with the rift and all.

He nodded. "Alright. Fair point." He moved to sit next to Mabel on her bed. "The only problem is _how_ we're going to get that carpet back. Great Uncle Ford's usually reserved with his stuff. So, I doubt that he'll let either one of us just wander into his room, no matter how close we are to him."

"We could always sneak in there when he's not looking." Mabel suggested, lifting her arms slightly in a shrug.

Dipper stared at the ground in thought, hoping an idea would come to him. However, he got nothing. His eyes wandered around the room for a moment before landing on the clock in between their bed. A lightbulb in his head sparked to life.

He perked up and said, "I have an idea!" Dipper turned to Mabel again. "If we find out the average times Great Uncle Ford is down working in the basement, we can use that information to figure out when we would sneak into is his room and retrieve the Electron Carpet." He explained.

Mabel threw her hands up, beaming. "Perfect! It's fool proof!" She exclaimed. Her arms dropped slightly. "Wait… what're we going to do with all of the extra time in between?"

Dipper shrugged. "I don't know. Just continue on with our lives until then, I guess."

Mabel's eyes brightened at that idea. She quickly stood up as she spoke. "Great! I'm gonna go emba-" She was cut off when Dipper grabbed her (or his) vest and pulled her back to the bed.

"Wait-Hold on. If we're going to be stuck in each other's bodies for more than one day, we'll have to establish some ground rules."

His twin pouted. "You're no fun." She turns her whole body to face him. "So, Captain Buzzkill, what rules are you talking about?" Mabel said, crossing her arms.

Ignoring his sister's minor insult directed towards him, Dipper started listing off the rules with his fingers.

"First, we need to act normal. Don't do what we did last time. We will also need to act like the other because, well, we _are_ switching places for the time being. Second, to respect the other's privacy, just stay in the underwear we are wearing for now."

"But we'll be all smelly!" Mabel exclaimed with disgust.

Dipper raised an eyebrow. "Better than the alternative."

She looked to the floor with a thoughtful expression and nodded, saying, "Oh yeah, huh."

"As I was saying, the third rule, because you were so oddly insistent on keeping this between us, is that we don't tell anyone about this. However if needed, we WILL tell someone about this. Understand?"

Mabel nodded. "Alright. Now we got all of this planned and sorted out. When should we start recording the times Great Uncle Ford is down working in the basement?"

"I think we could start tomorrow. Since he'll probably be sorting out his room for the next few hours. Want to play a few rounds of Attic Stuff Mini-golf with me until then?"

Mabel shot him a braceless smile. "Sure Dip-Dop! And man, it feels good to not have braces for once."

Dipper rolled his eyes as he walked over to the closet. "Yeah, whatever. But when this whole ordeal is over, you're stuck with them again. Now come over and help me set up." He said, collecting stuff that they could use.

His twin gave a mock salute. "Way ahead of you, bro." She ran over to him and began to set up.

The two spent the rest of the night laughing and playing mini-golf.

* * *

 **Sorry if this chapter was a bit boring. It kinda had to be included to go with the plot and so you have an idea what the heck is going on. (Also something in here ties with something I'm planning on writing in future chapter.) But don't worry, more stuff will happen in later chapters. See you next chapter!**

 **D IRRO SURRI SODQ LVQ'W DV HIILFLHQW ZKHQ BRX DUH WKH IRRO...**


	3. Chapter 3

**I didn't write who reviewed to thank them last chapter, so thank you ParagonConduit, various guests, Aniii139, and Isabel-lupin-black for reviewing! I don't have anything else to say so enjoy chapter three!**

* * *

 **Chapter 3: Impressions**

The Sun's rays shone through the triangle-shaped window into the attic. There were two twin beds on either sides of the room, each inhabited by a sleeping child. Even though they switched bodies temporarily, Mabel had insisted on still sleeping in their own individual beds after making sure everyone else was asleep first. ("There's no possible way I'm sleeping in your smelly bed when I'm already in your smelly body!")

Dipper was the first one to wake up. He sat up and stretched out his (non-noodly) arms.

"...Morning, Mabel," He yawned.

Mabel stirred a bit before turning over to look at her brother from across the room. She sat up also, rubbing her eyes to get rid of any left over drowsiness as she replied.

"Mornin', Dip…" She mumbled.

Her brother straightened his back suddenly and sniffed the air. "Do you smell that?" Curious, Mabel copied his action and sniffed the air. She could slightly smell the distant smell of pancakes. The twins looked at each other and smiled. They hopped out of bed and rushed downstairs. (Dipper refused to change into PJ's, so they were already dressed. Although he still had to put on a new sweater for Mabel's sake.)

They walked into the kitchen, gladly taking in the scent of Stan's new batch of 'Stancakes'.

"Morning, Grunkle Stan!" The twins shout in unison.

Stan turned slightly from where he was standing, spatula in hand. He nodded his head at them.

"G'morning," He turned back around. "Lot of energy in ya today, eh? What's the occasion?"

Dipper and Mabel took their seats at the kitchen table. They looked at each other. They already had planned that they would need a cover up activity to do when they weren't logging in the times Ford's in his room.

Dipper shrugged. "I heard there's a new episode for Ducktective," He said, trying to keep Mabel's cheery tone in his voice. "What about you, Grunkle Stan?"

Stan shrugged also, sliding the pancakes onto their respective plates. "Eh, I don' know. The shack's closed today because apparently I'm supposed to give my employees 'a break' and for other business reasons." He turned again to face his niblings. "None of which you need to know."

Stan picked up the plates waiter style and carried them over to the table, setting them each down in front of a person. First Dipper, second Mabel, and finally himself. He sat down in front of the two as they started eating.

"I guess I'll just join you kids," He continued.

The trio continued to eat, with Mabel slightly slipping up when she doused her breakfast in syrup. Dipper quickly did the same to cover for her, acting like it's just normal. Stan just raised an eyebrow at them, but didn't say anything on the matter.

After Dipper and Mabel finished, they carried their plates to the sink and headed towards the living room. Dipper sat on the left arm chair, while Mabel sat on the right. Stan entered the room after a few seconds and, grabbing the remote, sat in between the two, turning on the television.

They stayed like that for about an hour, watching reruns of Ducktective after watching the new episode. The distant sound of the vending machine opening was heard, soon followed by heavy footsteps.

Ford entered the room with an ecstatic smile present on his face. His glasses were askew and his hair was a complete mess, and it was smoking for some reason. Everybody turned their heads towards him, with Stan making no effort to hide his annoyance.

"Dipper, my boy! I request your assistance down in the basement."

Mabel shot Dipper a hesitant look, knowing full well that she'll have to be the one to go. But Stan took action before her. He stood up.

"Oh yeah? What kind of thing do you need his help with? I don't want you to go blow up the house."

Ford frowned and adjusted his glasses. "Nothing that you should be concerned about. And for the record, this is _my_ house after all."

Stan just rolled his eyes and sat back down, moving the twins slightly while doing so. "Whatever, just go do your thing with him, Dipper. And hey, Poindexter, try not to kill the kid, will ya? You already broke our agreement once and I'd actually like for him to stay alive."

The man sighed, "Yes, yes." He turned slightly and waved his hand over to Mabel. "Come along, Dipper!" He ushered.

Mabel glanced at Dipper one more time, waiting for an OK. He nodded silently. Still hesitant, Mabel slowly slid off of the armrest and followed Ford to the basement.

Dipper watched her go with a sigh. Stan turned to him. "You kids okay? Your brother usually jumps at the chance to help Ford, and you don't look that well yourself," He asked in concern.

The boy shook his head. "No, I'm fine. I'm just worried about Dipper." He mentally grimaced. _Still not going to get used to that._ His gaze wandered over to where Mabel left.

Stan sighed and shifted his body to face Dipper more. "Listen, kid," Dipper faced him again. "I know that you and your brother have been drifting a bit ever since Poindexter came back, and I know that you worry you guys will turn out like us."

Dipper just looked at him, waiting for him to continue. _Mabel worries about that?_

"But," Stan continued, "The bond you and Dipper have is stronger than any sibling relationship I have ever seen. Even stronger than me and Ford's bond we had when we were your age."

It took every ounce in Dipper not to blow his cover and correct Stan's grammar.

"I know that you guys will stay together through thick 'n thin, no matter what happens. You aren't like my brother and I, you're way stronger. So, don't worry 'bout stuff like that. Your brother will always be there for you, and you'll always be there for him. You're twins. It's gonna take a whole lot of effort to break apart what you two share. And if you need consultation, you always have me, Ford, and your brother. I do suggest you talk about this with him also, though."

Stan then stood up with a grunt. He patted Dipper on the head and walked away in the direction of the kitchen while saying, "I'm gonna go get a Pit Cola."

Dipper watched him go with a bewildered expression. He turned back to the tv, but not really watching it. Only one thought is going through is head;

 _I'm need to have a talk with Mabel._

 _ **MLG ZOO UVZIH ZIV VZHB GL HVV...**_


	4. Chapter 4

**New chapter! Yay! Thank you for reading so far! We're around halfway done.**

* * *

 **Chapter 4: Spells and Secrets**

Ford opened the vending machine and walked inside, Mabel following close behind. They walked down the hall and towards the elevator. Ford directed it to go to the 3rd level and stepped inside, holding it slightly for Mabel to go through.

She went in silently. Was Dipper usually this quiet around Ford? Around 10 seconds later, the elevator doors opened and the two stepped into the lab. Ford walked ahead as Mabel lingered slightly, taking it all in.

She hadn't been down here much, the only time she remembered being the night Ford came out of the portal. She had remembered the night clearly. At first, she thought that everything would be ten times better, having a new family member in the house. But now… she's not so sure.

Stan seemed to have been more down in the dumps lately ever since Ford came back. She understood. If she lost Dipper to a portal and worked 30 years to get him back, not even knowing if he was dead or alive, she would expect something more than a punch in the face and being given the cold shoulder.

And after hearing both of the Stans' stories, she's been worrying that the same thing will happen to her and Dipper. She knew it was slightly absurd, but with the fact that Dipper was hanging out with Ford more recently didn't make matters any better.

Mabel ran to catch up to Ford.

"...So, Great Uncle Ford, what did you need my help with?" Mabel's voice wavered slightly. She desperately hoped that he didn't notice. She wasn't usually this nervous around Ford, was she?

The man looked down at her and smiled. "Ah, I'm glad you asked, Dipper!" He turned around and stopped at a desk. He kneeled down and fished out a key from his inner coat pocket. He unlocked a small apartment and carefully pulled out a small object. It's main structure was that of a snow globe's, but instead of holding a little building or object covered in fake snow inside, it had this galaxy-colored blob floating in the middle of it. He stood up again and faced Mabel.

"You remember when I told you about the rift, correct?" He asked.

Mabel just stared at it in a confused awe. Dipper already knew about this? Why hadn't he told her? Well, she knew now. She nodded.

"Right. So like how I said before, this is a tear in the fabric of our universe, and it's concealed in this containment dome." He tapped it lightly, as if to prove his point. "But, believe it or not, I have found a way to make it stronger and to lower the chances of it breaking."

"How?" Mabel asked.

He turned back to the desk and pulled out a chair to sit in. He rummaged through some papers while continuing. "I have discovered a spell to strengthen the glass on the dome part. It took me about 32 hours without sleep to find this, but it will all be worth it."

He turned to her and put a hand to his mouth. "Don't tell your sister this, but I have been drinking her personalised energy drink to keep me awake and-heh-works like a charm!"

Mabel nodded again. She has been wondering why her Mabel juice has been running low every time she would refill it recently.

"Okay… so where do I pitch in?"

"Oh, you will be holding the rift in place while I perform the spell. It can get a bit destructive. I also have some armor for you to wear to protect you from any potential radiation."

Mabel stared at her uncle's back, flabbergasted. Radiation? Spells? What kind of stuff do they even do down here?

* * *

About five minutes later, Mabel was in makeshift armor, made up of oven mitts, a metal chest plate, and a plastic viking helmet, holding the so-called rift-that-is-a-threat-to-all-humanity in place as Ford prepares to chant a spell. (Where he got the viking helmet, she had no idea.)

"Uh, Great Uncle Ford?" She called, "Are you sure that this armor will actually protect me?"

"Don't worry, Dipper," Ford started, dropping a helmet over his own head. He rummaged through his coat and pulled out a pair of safety goggles. He slapped them on over his glasses. "I can assure you that you will be safe. I have tested this before, and most of the blast usually recoils back to the user. Might want to close your eyes, though. The spell I'm using can have negative side effects for any eyes exposed to it." He put on black gloves as he talked.

 _Tested on what?_ Mabel couldn't help but think. Instead, she said, "So, I just hold it in place like this?"

Ford looked over to her. "Yes, yes. Stay like that." He grabbed a loose sheet of paper, very old looking, and skimmed through it. "Alright, get ready."

He shifted the paper in one hand and held out the other towards the rift. Mabel closed her eyes and looked away as Ford began to say the spell. His outstretched hand started to glow as he chanted;

"Velut ferrum: quia fortis ferro iubes et imprimetur signum istud speculum. Quidquid habere intus est, tamdiu durare priusquam moriatur eam!"

Ford's voice echoed throughout the room, lasting a few seconds even after he finished, adding to the dramatic effect. Mabel looked back at the rift in her hands just in time to see a light blue aura surrounding it. It faded slowly until it was no longer visible. She looked up at her uncle.

He was taking off his makeshift armor, a large smile present on his face. "Thank you for your help, Dipper. We lowered the chances of Bill breaking through into our dimension!" He cheered.

Mabel cracked a small smile and copied his action by taking off the armor. That was good to know that she helped prevent Bill from breaking through. But if this rift is so important, why didn't she know about it? She decided to bite the bullet and ask just that.

"Great Uncle Ford? I know that you basically swore me to secrecy when you told me about this," Did he? She had no idea. "But this is really important. Shouldn't we tell Mabel? Or better yet, Stan?"

Ford's cheerful attitude vanished faster than it came. He turned to her with a hard look. "I already told you. The less people that know, the better."

"Then why do I know then?" She challenged. She knew she shouldn't do this, but Dipper obviously never put up an argument. Someone had to. "Isn't that putting me in danger or something?"

The man sighed. "In a way, yes. But, Dipper, you're one of the only people I trust."

"But not Mabel, huh?!" He looked away. Ford's silence was enough to answer. Mabel looked at the ground. She said the next bit a little quieter. "Great Uncle Ford, do you even like my sister?" It hurt to think of what his answer might be.

Ford did a double-take. "Wha _-Of course_ I like Mabel! What made you think that I didn't?"

Mabel took a deep breath. Lies. It was just a big fat lie, and that was the last straw. She looked up at Ford again, close to tears, and shouted:

"Then why do you trust Dipper but not me!"

The words left her mouth too fast to take them back. Mabel's eyes widened as she put her hands over her mouth. She had slipped up. And she knew Ford now knows that too. She looked up at him with fearful eyes on what he might do.

Ford was looking down at her with a confused, but thoughtful, expression, obviously trying to piece everything together. Mabel knew the exact moment it clicked in his brain when his confused demeanor changed into a shocked one.

"Mabel?"

Mabel took a step back. She ran, despite her grunkle's pleas to stay. She just had to get away. But...

What was she going to do now?

* * *

 ***Evil laughter* More suspense! Also, if you want to know what the spell is, I translated it to Latin. I couldn't think of anything else to write for it. Have a nice rest of your day!**

 _ **20-8-5 18-9-6-20 13-1-25 2-5 20-1-11-5-14 3-1-18-5 15-6, 2-21-20 20-8-1-20'19 14-15-20 20-8-5 15-14-12-25 20-8-9-14-7 20-8-5-25 14-5-5-4 20-15 6-9-24.**_


	5. Chapter 5

**Hello! I'd like to thank the many reviewers who reviewed and everyone who are actually putting time in their day to read this story! Also, over 1,000 views? That is AMAZING! Thank you! Anyways, enjoy chapter 5 of Switch!**

* * *

 **Chapter 5: A Much Needed Talk**

Mabel rubbed at her eyes for what seemed like the millionth time as she reached the attic door. She had managed to reach this location successfully without catching any attention, for Stan and Dipper were nowhere in sight.

She hoped that Dipper was just using this body-switching situation as an opportunity to hang out with Wendy or was just collecting the information they would need to make their plan take action. But because even though this is _their_ room and he has every right to be in there, she just wanted to be alone and think things through.

Mabel put her hand on the doorknob and turned it, opening the door with an unpleasant 'creak'. Mabel instantly froze. Seems like the multiverse was not on her side to today. Dipper probably had a better day than _this_.

Speaking of her brother…

Dipper was sitting at the edge of her bed, looking at her with an unreadable expression. His hands were folded neatly in his lap, which usually meant that he meant business.

Mabel snapped out of it and put on a nervous smile. "Heeeyyy…...Broseph," She stretched. She pointed at Dipper's hands. "Aren't you supposed to be logging those times or whatever?"

Dipper said nothing. He reached his hand out to the side and held up a small notebook, indicating that he had already done just that. Mabel laughed nervously. "Oh."

Her brother put the notebook down and looked away from Mabel, rubbing his arm. He sighed.

"Listen, Mabel, We need to talk." At the look on her face, he quickly added, "No no no! Nothing bad though, just…" He trailed off. How would he word it? He shook his head, and motioned over to the bed. "Come over and sit with me." He patted an empty spot next to him.

Mabel obliged, sitting down and facing her body to look at Dipper. She fiddled with her hands as she waited for him to start.

Dipper sighed again. "Well… after you left with Great Uncle Ford, I guess I was staring after you worriedly or something and that gave Stan the wrong idea. He started talking to me about that he knows you're afraid that we'll turn out like them."

Mabel straightened her back, stiff as a board. Dipper continued again, making sure to talk slowly, knowing that this may be a really sensitive subject for his sister.

"Then he explained not to worry and that everything will be okay. That we're different from them and that we have a way stronger bond. So it's highly unlikely that we'll split apart. He also said that if you need someone to talk to, he's there if you need him."

He looked down at the bedspread.

"I'm also here for you too." He said quietly. He looked up at her with eyes full of emotion. Hurt? Concern, maybe? "Mabel… why didn't you tell me before? I could of helped you." His voice was quiet, with Mabel now recognizing that the emotion was mainly hurt.

She averted her gaze, playing with the sheets. She didn't mean to hurt his feelings, he just wanted to help her. Why did she hide it from him, anyways? She was scared. That was the simple answer. She had thought, since Dipper was always with Ford now, that he didn't need her. That he would think that her feelings were stupid and shrug them off. That's why.

Now, she was the one who was sighing. She hadn't planned for Dipper to find out about this. She truthfully thought that this would pass in a week or so. But that wasn't the case. But, on the bright side, she now has someone to help her get through it.

"I-I don't know. I guess I was just scared. I was scared that you wouldn't care or just shrug it off…"

Dipper looked at her with concern. "What? Of course I care! Why wouldn't I?" Did he do something to make her think otherwise?

Mabel just shrugged, refusing to look her brother in the eye. "Well… You're always with Ford all the time and I just thought…" She didn't have to continue. Dipper knew. Tears welled up in her eyes.

He pulled her into a hug. After that, the dam broke loose. Mabel cried out every tear that she had been holding for the past week. Every tear she hid behind her smiles. Every single one.

Dipper said nothing as she cried, he just sat there and let her cry it out, not caring if she's practically soaking his, well technically Mabel's, clothes. He rubbed small circles on her back, coming off as comforting.

How could he not have known before? He's her twin, they see each other everyday! It's not Mabel's fault that she never told him before, she shouldn't of had to. It's all on him for not being a better brother. For not noticing sooner.

He mentally chastised himself for being so oblivious.

The waterworks finally came to a stop around 8 minutes later. It was now reduced to sniffles. Dipper asked:

"Are you feeling better?"

Mabel didn't answer right away, causing him to pull away from her and look at her face. She still had lingering tears on her cheeks, face red from crying. She was looking down again, looking the opposite of 'better'.

Dipper quirked an eyebrow in concern. "Mabel, what else is bothering you?"

Mabel looked up at him again with a slightly guilty look, quickly looking down again. She played with her hands as she talked.

"Dipper," Her voice was quiet. "I know about the rift…" She glanced up at him for his reaction, only to be surprised by his calm expression. Dipper looked away from her feeling awkward.

"Yeah… about that.." He said. "I would have told you about it the day he told me, but he kind of made me say an oath to keep it a secret to everyone but us two." Dipper looked up at her with a grimace. "You aren't mad about that, are you?"

Mabel quickly shook her head. She was relieved that Dipper wasn't mad either, honestly. "No, I'm not mad. I kind of assumed so, with how secretive he was being. But… I have something else to tell you…"

She looked him directly in the eye. "Great Uncle Ford knows." She spoke with fear, Dipper noticed.

He shrugged. "I don't see the problem. We could just get him to help us, now that he knows."

Mabel's eyes widened slightly. She waved her arms frantically and yelled partially louder than she should have, "No! We can't do that!"

Dipper, taken aback by her outburst, eyed her suspiciously. He spoke softly, given that she literally balled her eyes out a minute ago, but sternly. "Mabel, what's up with you? Why are acting like that whenever I mention Ford? And this is not because of the previous topic, I can tell. So, why?"

Mabel looked back down, fidgeting with Dipper's loose shoelaces. (Seriously, why does he _never_ tie his shoes?) "I act that way because… Ford scares me. I mean, I bet he's a nice guy, but how could I know that? My only interaction with him before was when I shook his hand the night he came back! _You_ ," She pointed a finger at Dipper. " On the other hand, know a bunch about him, and you guys probably have a healthy friendship. But we don't."

She looked up at her brother. "You get what I'm saying?"

He nodded."Sorta… but that isn't a real reason for why he scares you."

Mabel shook her head. "I… I know that this fear is irrational, but because of the bond we don't have, he won't be as nice to as he is to you. What I'm saying is, if you break something on accident, he'd probably won't be as mad or just shrug it off. But if I make the same mistake, he'd be, like, 10 times angrier and hurt me physically _or_ emotionally-"

"Wait, he wouldn't do that!" Dipper cut in.

She looked straight at him. "How do you know that, huh? You don't! It doesn't matter if he does it intentionally or not, he could still hurt me!" _Like how he did today…_ She added mentally.

Dipper fell silent for a few moments before talking again. "But, how do you know that?" He said, looking up at her.

Now it was Mabel's turn to be silent. She rubbed at her right eye. Why did she feel the need to cry again? She already ran out of tears. Dipper her silence for an answer.

"...Did he already hurt you?" He spoke with hesitance, hoping that he was wrong.

Mabel nodded slowly.

His eyes filled with sympathy. "What happened?"

Mabel's breath hitched slightly. No, she wasn't going to cry again. "He doesn't trust me… He said it himself…"

Knowing what was coming next, Dipper pulled her into another hug as Mabel cried again. How could she hold this much tears? About a minute later, Mabel stopped crying, pulling away from her brother. She gave him a watery smile. "Thanks, bro bro."

He returned the smile. "No problem, sis."

She rubbed any remaining tears out of her eyes as she glanced at a nearby clock. "6:30? No wonder why I'm so hungry," As if on cue, her stomach growled. "The last thing I ate was breakfast!"

Dipper smiled, glad she's being herself. Then he remembered that they were still in each other's bodies. "Oh yeah, remember to act like the other when we go down."

Mabel gave a mock salute. "You got it Sir Dippingsauce! I almost forgot too. Now let's go eat dinner, shall we?" She beamed at him, offering her hand to him.

Dipper decided to play along and took her hand. Mabel ran out if the room with Dipper, completely missing the shocked Ford in the hallway.

* * *

 **Sorry if Mabel is a little out of character this chapter. It just feels weird writing her all sad and crying when she's usually a happy girl. Also, before editing, there was a lot of mistakes and stuff. And I mean** _ **a lot**_ **. So sorry if any of the mistakes or errors slipped past me. See you in a week or so!**

 _ **RQH WDON GRZQ, RQH PRUH WR JR...**_


	6. Chapter 6

**It's my birthday! I can update if I wanna, It's my birthday! I have no idea where I'm going with this. Also, that was technically a lie. My birthday was a few days ago, but whatever. I made it one more year! Anyways… 1,600 plus views?! Awesome! Thank you! It's nice to know that people are reading/viewing this story.**

 **Also, two more things.**

 **I now have Journal 3: Special Edition! When maybe a few months have passed and I'm done handling the feels, (I don't know, I haven't read it yet.) I'll write a one-shot based off of something in there. I'm also including this because my friends don't want to have anything to do with it and I need someone to rant endlessly to. (My sibling is a fan, but doesn't give a beaver's dam. I made that up, and I'm proud.)**

 **One last thing, woo hoo! Independence Day! Time to bring out the flagged-themed stuff!**

 **Okay, that's it. Enjoy chapter 6! (I add too many exclamation points. I'm actually really quiet**

* * *

 **Chapter 6: Awkward Tension**

Ford stood, shocked, as he watched the twins go, happy as ever. As if nothing had happened. After Mabel ran from the lab, Ford decided to follow her upstairs, hoping to reason with her. But when he got there, he had discovered that she was already talking with Dipper. And listening to their conversation really got him thinking.

He never knew that that was the way Mabel had thought of him. Since day one, he had tried, actually tried, to be as friendly as possible around his newly acquired niblings. Although Mabel was right, that they haven't been hanging out, resulting in knowing almost _nothing_ about the other, he had hoped that seeing him playing D, D & more D with Dipper would make her see that he's not all bad. But, sadly, that wasn't the case.

Now she's scared of him. And it's a pretty reasonable fear, too. If she were to mess up something in the lab, Ford would more likely to snap at her versus if Dipper were to mess something up. And that truth alone caused him immense guilt. If he were in her position, he'd be scared of himself, too.

He, then, thought back to the first thing the two twins had talked about. Something about Mabel being worried that she Dipper would turn out like he and Stan, was it? He, personally, thought that she was worrying over nothing. He had seen how the kids interacted with one another, and it seems like they got along better than he and Stan ever did. And that's saying something.

Both of the issues, Ford realized, were caused by him. It was mainly his fault that he and Stan had that fallout, although it was a little on Stan for breaking his project. (He honestly didn't know why it mattered anymore, but grudges were hard to break when you've been keeping them for over thirty years.) And he's the reason Mabel's scared of him. It was _his_ actions that had caused them.

Ford sighed, rubbing the back of his neck, looking at the direction Dipper and Mabel have gone. It seems like all he's good at is ripping apart relationships. Even if it's unintentional.

Speaking of Dipper and Mabel… They're still currently stuck in the other's body thanks to his invention. Might as well go and lend it to them to speed up the process.

With that thought in mind, Ford ventured back to downstairs to retrieve the rug from his room. When Ford passed the kitchen, he couldn't help but peek inside when he heard joyous laughter. He saw all three of them- Stan, Mabel, and Dipper -laughing, presumably at a joke Stan had told. He smiled slightly at the scene, but he couldn't help but feel a spark of jealousy towards his brother. For what, though? He didn't know.

Their dinner was composed of ice cream and… pancakes? He guessed that there was leftovers from their breakfast. This served another reminder for Ford to talk to Stanley about nutrition and what classifies as a meal.

Other than the food issue, if he didn't know about what's going on, he'd think that the twins were already in their respective bodies. He mentally praised them for their acting skills before moving on with his task.

Ford walked down the hallway and into his room, which was relatively cleaner than it had been just a day or two ago. It had taken hours, 6 to be exact, to clean it up and rearrange the furniture the way he liked it. There was an improbable amount of spider webs and dust, though he doesn't know how that can be. If his knowledge serves him correct, which is almost always the case, that apparently-human "Soos" guy was originally using it as a break room.

And why he never got rid of that rat family of four was beyond him.

He shook his head as an attempt to pull himself out of his own thoughts. Ford was quick to locate the electron carpet in the middle of the floor, and, in a swift motion, rolled up the carpet, tucking it under his arm. Now all he had to do was lend it to the twins casually, without causing any problems with Mabel.

That, of course, is easier said than done.

Ford exited his room and was about to enter the kitchen before he stopped himself, remembering that Stan was still in the room. First of all, they're still not in the best of terms, if the fact that they can't stand to be in the same room without fighting is anything to go by.

And second, Stanley obviously has no idea what's going on, and giving the twins the electron carpet will only cause suspicion on his part. Given that he was practically demanding to have it back just a few days ago.

He waited for about a minute or two before hearing the familiar sound of a chair scraping the ground, indicating that someone got up. Around a second later, Stan walked out of the kitchen, mumbling something about a television show.

After a moment of hesitation, Ford straightened his back and entered the room. The twins were finishing their dinner, chatting happily amongst themselves. He lingered by the entrance, not wanting to get any closer. He cleared his throat.

The twins instantly became silent as they looked up at him. Dipper gave him a silent nod of acknowledgment. And Ford didn't miss the way Mabel latched onto her brother's arm. Nor did he miss the way that the action tore away at his heart.

He avoided eye contact and rubbed the back of his neck with his free hand. "I was checking my room over again, and when I saw the electron carpet in the middle of the floor, I remembered about your current situation and decided to lend the carpet to you so you can use it." Ford looked back at the twins with a forced smile. He hoped that he didn't look to nervous. He held out the carpet to them.

"So," He continued. "Here it is. Now you can fix this whole mess. You can give me the carpet back later." The twins shared a look, but otherwise stayed silent. Ford's smile faltered a bit, but he managed to keep it in place. "Alright… I'll just leave it here by the wall and you can grab it after you're done eating."

And he did just that. Ford left the room quickly after and made a beeline back to his own room. He sat on his couch and face palmed.

 _Great job, genius, you just made the whole situation worse,_ He scolded. _Now Mabel's more at unease around you than ever!_

* * *

After Ford left the room, Mabel let go of her brother's arm. She took another bite of food and turned towards Dipper. "What was that all about?" She asked, swallowing her food.

The latter shrugged. "I don't know," Said Dipper. "We have the carpet now though." He took a bite of his food. "So, anyways, as I was saying…"

Whatever Dipper was saying, Mabel didn't listen. She thought back to how nervous Ford had looked. She glanced back at the kitchen entrance. _Maybe he's not as bad as I thought._

* * *

 **This is one of the worse chapters. I don't like how it turned out, so sorry. Stuff is happening next chapter so don't ditch this story just yet! I hope you don't spot the things in here that are the cause of my insecurities!**

 **On another note, just realized that I haven't included Waddles in basically any of my Gravity Falls stories… oops. I'm sorry, Waddles fans. I'll probably write a future story about Waddles, so don't you worry your piggy-filled heads. Here's the cipher. (Coming up with a message is hard, y'know that? I don't get how some authors do sentences upon sentences of them.)**

 _ **WRMMVI XZM YV ZMBGSRMT RU BLF KFG BLFI NRMW GL RG.**_


	7. Chapter 7

**Holy [Insert Word Here], it's been 3 flippin' weeks! I'm sorry, guys, I truly didn't mean to make the wait that long. But don't worry, I'll try to make the next chapter a quicker process. But, no promises, for I am starting SCHOOL. (Word echoes dramatically.) I know, it sucks. I do not look forward to waking up early and spending 8 hours of my day there.** _ **But**_ **, in a somewhat better note, I'd like to thank you guys for getting this story over 2,300 views! It means a lot.**

 **And speaking of chapters, (about 50 words up there) the next one should be the last one if it's not too long, then I'll split it in two. Anyway, enough yappin' on my part, enjoy the chapter!**

* * *

 **Chapter 7: (Almost) Back to Normal**

Dipper and Mabel both stood on opposite sides of the attic, the carpet laid out in between them. Dipper looked at Mabel.

"You ready?" He asked.

Mabel nodded and began to untie her shoes. (She couldn't stand the fact that her brother never tied them on his own.) She kicked them off to the side of the room. She looked down at her socked feet and smiled. They're finally going to fix this mess.

She looked back up at Dipper, and with one more shared nod, Mabel stepped onto the carpet and began to shuffle her feet, slowly forming static electricity. She dragged her feet over to Dipper as the latter raised his hand, the palm facing the ceiling.

She stopped in front of Dipper and raised her hand and brought it down on her brother's. Not a second later, they were both blasted backwards.

Dipper brought a hand up to rub his head and gasped when he felt the familiar texture of his hat. He looked over to Mabel and saw her doing the same thing. There was a moment of silence as it settled in.

However it was soon broken by her high-pitched squeal. Mabel crawled over to give Dipper a bear hug.

"Oh my gosh, Dipper! We did it! We did it! We did it!"

Dipper laughed and hugged her back, but not with as much strength. "I know, Mabel!" He pulled back and examined his hands. "It feels so good to be back in my own body! Remind me to never be around that carpet ever again." He said, glancing at said carpet.

Mabel let go of him and looked at it as well. She grimaced slightly. "Agreed. It's a dumb carpet for dumbos. I don't know why Grunkle Ford ever wanted it back in the first place."

"Probably because it's his." Dipper suggested.

"Eh, probably." She agreed. "Well enough about that. I'm going to shower, I haven't showered in days!"

Dipper chuckled. "You go do that."

He watched as Mabel got her pajamas and left the room. He looked down at the carpet once she was out of sight. He frowned.

He needed to make a plan, and quick. They already had taken care of the main problem, being in the wrong bodies, and he made sure Mabel knows that they won't turn out like their Grunkles. But he still had to fix the relationship between his sister and Ford.

The problem between the two is that they don't know each other all that well, which, of course, results with false assumptions. Like how Mabel thinks that Ford would hurt her if she did the simplest mistake. So what would they need? Communication.

Dipper thought on that for a while. First, he would need to find a decent excuse to get the two in the same room. Second, make sure they won't try escape and spoil the whole plan. And third, give them something to talk about and hope for the best they'll work things out.

He hummed to himself. That could work, and he has an idea for a way to get them in the same place.

Happy with his thinking, the boy proceeded to get ready for bed by changing into a pair of clean clothes. Mabel walked back into the room not long after. They both walked to their respective beds and slid under the covers. Mabel turned her head to Dipper.

"So… when are we going to give the carpet back to Great Uncle Ford?"

Dipper shrugged, suppressing a smile. "We could do it tomorrow."

Mabel yawned. "...yeah. Goodnight, Dip Dip."

"Goodnight, Mabes."

* * *

Dipper slowly opened his eyes once he heard Mabel's breathing level out. He glanced at the clock: 1 A.M. Ford should still be down in his lab. Being cautious not to wake his sister, he slid out from under the covers and tip-toed over to the door.

He opened it slowly, wincing when it gave a slight creak. He quickly slipped out into the hallway and trekked downstairs. He waltzed into the gift shop and went over to the vending machine, putting in the code. It swung open as the entrance glowed a faint blue. Dipper walked in and traveled down to the elevator, directing it to go down to the lab.

One elevator ride later, Dipper walked out into the room, the doors closing behind him. He spotted Ford hunched over his desk, supposedly reading about something.

"Uhm… Great Uncle Ford?"

Ford visibly jumped before swinging his chair around to face him. Once he caught sight of his nephew, he visibly relaxed before tensing up a bit again.

"Why, hello-wait. Which… Are you..?"

"Dipper." He answered. "We switched back the moment we went back upstairs."

Ford nodded. "Ah. So I suppose you've come to return my carpet?" He asked.

Dipper looked down at his socked feet and kicked the ground. "I-well, actually about that…" He looked up at Ford. "I have a favor to ask you."

The older one raised an eyebrow. "What kind of favor?"

"Well…" Dipper explained. "I know that you and Mabel haven't been in the best of terms -for whatever reason I don't know- and I may have come up with a plan to fix your bond. Well, if you want to, that is." He added. He sent his uncle a look that was both pleading and daring him to say otherwise.

Ford felt a smile pull at his lips. "Of course I would. Throw it at me." He motioned towards himself.

Dipper returned the smile, but it quickly dropped into a serious expression. "Well, since one of us will have to bring the Electron Carpet back to you, like you said earlier, I was thinking that Mabel would do it. Obviously tomorrow, though. And you would be down in the lab when she would give it to you, so you guys would have privacy to talk. 'Cause I'm kinda getting a vibe _someone_ needs to apologize."

Ford looked away, scratching the back of his head. "Yeah, earlier today, when we were down in the lab, we sort of got in an argument, and I may have said some wrong things. Which lead your sister to believe that I didn't trust her. Which I do! Honest!" Ford added upon seeing the look Dipper was giving him.

"I'm glad you do, but Mabel is the one who needs to know that. Not me." Dipper stretched out his arms, not bothering to cover up his his yawn. "Well," He continued. "I just came down here to let you know about tomorrow, and she should be coming down around noon, by the way." He paused to yawn again.

"Anyway, it was one A.M. the last time I checked. I'm going to sleep while I still can." Dipper started to walk off, but stopped a few feet away from the elevator to turn and say:

"Goodnight, Grunkle Ford."

Ford smiled a bit for being given the title. He watched Dipper's back as the latter walked away, off to bed.

"Goodnight, Dipper." He responded.

When Dipper finally got back up to the attic, it was 1:18. He slipped back into his bed and drifted off into a deep slumber, hoping that things will work out tomorrow.

* * *

 **This is turning more Hurt/Comfort than Humor, I'm sorry. (Maybe I should stop listening to sad and emotional music while I type.)**

 **25-15-21 3-1-14'20 8-15-12-4 15-6-6 20-8-5 9-14-5-22-9-20-1-2-12-5, 2-21-20 25-15-21 19-21-18-5 1-19 8-5-3-11 3-1-14 20-18-25.**


	8. Chapter 8

**I am back with the last chapter! *Cheers* I'd like to say thank you to all of my favorite-ers, followers, commentors, and viewers! (Which reached over 2,700!) You guys are awesome and I hope that you enjoy! I also probably made it over my word goal, woo hoo. (It was to get it over 10,000. But Quality over quantity, amiright?)**

* * *

 **Chapter 8: Television Shows and Apologies**

It has been a relatively calm morning, compared to the previous events, that is. Dipper and Mabel both woke up around 8 and went downstairs to eat breakfast with Stan. The trio watched a few episodes of Ductective before Stan remembered that it was about time to open up the shack.

Now it was only the twins watching TV, with Dipper taking up the armchair and Mabel sitting on the floor. Dipper waited until the next commercial break to get his plan going.

"Hey Mabel?"

Mabel said "Hmm?" in response, not taking her eyes off of the television.

Dipper twiddled his thumbs. "You know… one of us still needs to give Ford his carpet back…" He hinted. He hoped that Mabel will get the idea, but alas, she just hummed in agreement, not thinking any more of it.

He sighed. "...I was thinking you should do it."

That gave Mabel the right idea, alright. She turned her head quickly to face him with wide eyes. "What?!" She shouts. "You know how I feel about Great Uncle Ford!"

Dipper held up his hands in a non-threatening way. "Whoa, whoa. You'll just go down to the basement and give it to him. Not even a sentence has to be said." _Hopefully not, though._

The two twins stared at each other, waiting for the other to back down and do it. After a moment, Mabel sighed and stood. "Fine," She pointed a finger at Dipper. "But you better keep the tv paused until I get back, Bro Bro. There's a new episode after this one."

Dipper smiled and gave her a mock salute. "You got it, Sister."

Mabel left the room.

* * *

Mabel shouldn't feel so nervous, she really shouldn't. It's just her fear of her second Grunkle. She knows it's irrational, and that she has no reason to be scared of him. She knows that Ford won't hurt her (physically) on purpose, Dipper had told her so, and she can trust her brother. But, unfortunately, fears are hard to get rid of.

(Also there's the fact that he doesn't trust her, so that doesn't help the current situation at all.)

Mabel took a deep breath and stepped inside the elevator, Ford's carpet in tow. She waited a long, agonizing ride down to the third level until the elevator binged and it's doors slipped open. She saw Ford sitting there with his back to her.

The girl stood there for a moment or two, trying to muster up some courage to speak. She gulped.

"...Grunkle Ford?" She peeped.

There was a faint sound of rustling papers before Ford swiveled his chair to face her. He greeted her with a warm smile. "Hello, Mabel. Is there anything I can do for you?"

Mabel relaxed a little bit, but that wasn't saying much. She shifted the Electron Carpet in her grip so that she was holding it with both hands. She held it up slightly. "I brought you your carpet back…"

A pause.

"...thanks, by the way." She mumbled.

Ford stood up from his chair and crossed the room to her in four strides. He went to ruffle her hair but thought better of it. He took the carpet from his niece's hands and beamed down at her.

"You're welcome, Mabel! It was not a problem, really. And thank you for returning it to me."

Mabel smiled shyly up at him before letting it drop. Ford frowned at this, but that action went unnoticed by the young girl.

She looked down at her hands. "Well, I'm going to go back upstairs. Don't wanna bother with whatever sci-fi stuff you were doing down here…"

She turned around and began to walk away. She pressed the button to go up and was almost inside the elevator when-

"Mabel, wait!"

Mabel turned around and let the doors slide close behind her. Ford was now a few steps closer to her and he had his hand outstretched slightly. He let his arm drop to his side and straightened his back. He looked down at her with a guilty expression. Ford cleared his throat.

"Mabel," He kneeled down to her level. "Before you go, I think that you deserve an apology."

Mabel's eyebrows shot up. She didn't expect this. She had hoped, maybe, but didn't expect it.

"When I thought back to what had happened, I realized that you were right. I shouldn't have kept the rift a secret, let alone only tell your brother about something that dangerous. And it had nothing to do with the fact that I don't trust you. Or Stanley in fact." Ford added.

"I think the main reason why I only told Dipper… was because I thought that you wouldn't be able to handle it, I guess." Ford grimaced. "But that was another thing I was wrong about.

"You are a strong girl, Mabel. And I hope that, one day, we can build a bond as strong as you. I deeply admire you, and it would completely devastate me to know that you are scared of me, hate me, or just don't want anything to do with me. I want you to know that I will be open to bond and get to know you more."

He smiled, the edges of his eyes crinkling as he does so. "If you want to, that is."

Mabel took a few moments to absorb his words. She smiled. Mabel flung herself at him in the biggest hug she could muster. "Apology accepted, Grunkle Ford!"

Ford laughed and hugged her back. "And my invitation will always be open to spend time with you. I mean, don't come up to me at 3 in the morning for arts and crafts, though."

Mabel giggled. "Alright, I won't." They stayed like that for about a minute before Mabel gasped suddenly and pulled away. Ford looked down at her with confusion.

"Oh, I just remembered! Dipper's still upstairs with the tv paused. There's a new episode that's going to play."

She darted towards the elevator. She stopped at the doors and turned to face her grunkle again.

"I know you don't really like the show, but do you want to come up and watch it with us?"

Ford smiled and nodded. "Of course, I would love to." He got up and walked into the elevator with Mabel and directed it to go up.

* * *

"Hey, Dipstick!"

Dipper turned from his seat to face both Ford and Mabel. He smiled and winked at Ford. The old man smiled back. Dipper motioned towards the paused television.

"Took you long enough! Hurry up and sit down, there's no way I'm waiting any longer!"

Mabel rushed back to her previous spot. When she sat down, she looked up and saw Ford still standing up, looking lost. She smiled up at him and patted the spotted next to her on her left. He smiled back and took a seat next to her, grimacing slightly when he heard his back pop.

"Ready?" Dipper asked. Both of them responded with a nod and he reached for the remote on his side and pressed the 'Play' button.

About half-way through the episode, Stan came into the room. He said hello to the kids and then looked towards Ford. He scoffed.

"I thought you didn't like the show, Poindexter."

Ford just held up a hand to silence him. "I'm afraid that I may have underestimated this show, Stanley. The plot is absolutely intriguing and the pun they make in the title is pretty humorous. Now hush. The twins said it was a new episode."

Stan raised his eyebrows. "What?! Why didn't you kids say something?!" He walked over to where Dipper was sitting. "Scoot over, kid. I need ta watch the rest of this."

Stan squeezed himself next to Dipper, despite the younger ones protests. "Shut 'yer yaps, kiddo. You're not the one who missed half of a new episode!"

 _…1 Episode Later..._

"What?! Boo! I already predicted that the duck detective and the constable switched bodies before the episode even started!"

* * *

 **Two things: First, sorry if the ending went too quick or if it wasn't the best. I do hope you enjoyed, though. Second, I have no idea how overused this ending is, but when I wrote the beginning, inspiration struck me in the face like a wet fish. I couldn't help it.**

 **Bye, and thank you! *Waves***


End file.
